48 



JOURNAL OF THE 



[October, 



emerges from the skin is that portion of the fibre immediately 

 adjacent to the skin. This portion in abiiost all animals bearing 

 fur (some water animals excepted) is smooth, perfectly trans- 

 parent, and the writer has never, by any method known to him, 

 been able to find any tube or duct therein. The portion next 

 on the right in the plate shows the fibre having pronounced 

 scales or projections, and is a representation of the fibre at a 

 short distance from the skin, say at a point about one-sixth or 

 one-eighth of its length. 



TTJII — 1 The next portion towards the right in the plate 

 1^ 1 1 shows the center or middle portion of the fibre, and 

 the part on the right next adjacent shows the fibre 

 at some three-quarters of its length. The extreme 

 right hand portion represents the point of the fibre. 

 Thus it will be seen that the fibre starts from the 

 skin, small in diameter and smooth as to external 

 appearances, that next it enlarges and shows pro- 

 nounced external scales or projections, and that 

 then at and about the center the maximum diameter 

 is reached ; the scales are large but do not project 

 much, and towards the point or outer end of the 

 fibre the diameter decreases and a marked decrease 

 in the size of the scales is also observed. 



The attention of the reader is now invited to 

 Fig. I. 



This shows the center lengthwise of a fibre of 

 the kind of fur illustrated in the plate, after it has 

 been soaked in glycerine for a short time to make 

 it transparent. 



It will now be seen that air cells, separated by 

 ^roND/ pigment cells, alternate ; the dark bands repre- 

 FiG. 1. senting the pigment cells, and the intermediate 

 light portions the air cells. 



After prolonged soaking in glycerine, these dark bands of 

 pigment cells separate, and individual pigment cells drop into 

 the air cells, showing that each dark band is composed of many 

 minor cells closely compacted. 



The pigment cells are supposed to contain that greasy or 

 water repellant material, which exudes from under the scales, 

 and which keeps the exterior of all fur fibres in an anointed 



